Ride the Funicular and Views from the Top

One of the cool things we did was to ride what the folks in Wellington called a cable car to the highest point in Wellington.  However, this really wasn’t a cable car, it was what’s called a funicular.  There are 2 cars and as one goes down the very steep hill on which it’s located, it pulls the car at the bottom to the top.  We pass each other at the halfway point.

The Wellington Cable Car celebrated 100 years of service back on February 22, 2002.  I love the bright colors of the underground station where we boarded at the bottom of the hill.  It was also very cool as we rode thru the tunnel when we began our climb.  I think there were spooks and goblins on the walls to celebrate Halloween, as we rode this just after Halloween.

When we got to the top of the hill, and the end of our ride, we were at the highest point of the Wellington Botanic Gardens.  Up on the top, there are mostly trees and beautiful views of the city of Wellington and its harbor.  I especially loved the tree that had been trimmed to look like a rounded box hedge!

Altho we didn’t ride the car back down the hill, I was able to capture a shot of it leaving the upper station.  The route of this car only makes one stop, just a bit higher than midway down (and up) the hill.  The midway stop was to access a college, so folks didn’t have to walk up and down the hill.

Enjoy!